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William Cowper Quotes - Page 6

All Quotes Age Art Children Church Country Death Earth Evil Friendship Gardening Giving God Grace Happiness Heart Heaven Home Humanity Inspirational Joy Judging Judgment Kissing Knowledge Liberty Life Loss Love Lying Manners Mercy Music Nature Pain Pleasure Poetry Poverty Prayer Preaching Pride Purpose Reading Religion Retirement Running Sin Skins Slavery Solitude Son Soul Sports Spring Time Truth Virtue War Water Weed Winter Wisdom Wit

A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied, by ceaseless sharp corrosion; a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your joys disperse at one immense explosion.

A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied, by ceaseless sharp corrosion; a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your joys disperse at one immense explosion.

Joy, Passionate, May

William Cowper (1874). “The poetical works of William Cowper, ed: with notes and biographical introd. by William Benham”, p.343

The still small voice is wanted.

Voice, Wanted, Stills

William Cowper, William Hayley, John William Cunningham (1854). “The Works of William Cowper: His Life, Letters, and Poems ; Now First Completed by the Introduction of Cowper's Private Correspondence”, p.211

[My kitten's] gambols are not to be described, and would be incredible, if they could.

Cat, Would Be, Incredibles

William Cowper, Robert Southey (1835). “The Works of William Cowper, Comprising His Poems, Correspondence, and Translations”, p.267

Reasoning at every step he treads, Man yet mistakes his way, Whilst meaner things, whom instinct leads, Are rarely known to stray.

Mistake, Men, Intuition

William Cowper, Henry Stebbing (1843). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper, Esq: Including the Hymns and Translations from Madame Guion, Milton, Etc., and Adam; a Sacred Drama; from the Italian of Gio. Battista Andreini, with a Memoir of the Author”, p.183

England with all thy faults, I love thee still-- My country! and, while yet a nook is left Where English minds and manners may be found, Shall be constrained to love thee.

Country, Mind, May

William Cowper, John William Cunningham, William Hayley (1835). “The Life and Works of William Cowper: His life and letters by William Hayley. Now first completed by the introduction of Cowper's private correspondence”, p.369

Habits are soon assumed; but when we strive to strip them off, 'tis being flayed alive.

Alive, Habit, Strive

William Cowper (1872). “The poetical works of William Cowper: Complete ed., with memoir, explanatory notes etc”, p.91

Spring hangs her infant blossoms on the trees, Rock'd in the cradle of the western breeze.

Spring, Rocks, Tree

William Cowper, Robert Southey, William Harvey (1835). “The Works of William Cowper: Comprising His Poems, Correspondence, and Translations. With a Life of the Author”, p.142

Elegant as simplicity, and warm As ecstasy.

Simplicity, Ecstasy, Warm

William Cowper, John William Cunningham (1835). “The works ¬of William Cowper: Poems : with an essay on the genius and poetry of Cowper”, p.20

Built God a church and laughed His word to scorn.

Church, Scorn, Built

William Cowper (1835). “The Poems of William Cowper ...”, p.161

How readily we wish time spent revoked, that we might try the ground again where once--through inexperience, as we now perceive--we missed that happiness we might have found!

Past, Wish, Trying

William Cowper (1874). “The poetical works of William Cowper, ed: with notes and biographical introd. by William Benham”, p.266

Riches have wings, and grandeur is a dream.

Dream, Money, Wings

William Cowper (1826). “Poems. With an introductory essay by J. Montgomery”, p.264

Whoever keeps an open ear For tattlers will be sure to hear The trumpet of contention.

Gossip, Ears, Trumpets

William Cowper (1822). “The poems of William Cowper”, p.212

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break, With blessings on your head

Blessing, Clouds, Saint

William Cowper, “Light Shining Out Of Darkness”

Unless a love of virtue light the flame, Satire is, more than those he brands, to blame; He hides behind a magisterial air He own offences, and strips others' bare.

Light, Air, Flames

William Cowper (1855). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life, and Critical Notice of His Writings. Eight Engravings on Steel”, p.78

I pity bashful men, who feel the pain Of fancied scorn and undeserved disdain, And bear the marks upon a blushing face, OF needless shame, and self-impos'd disgrace.

Pain, Men, Self

William Cowper (1811). “Poems”, p.237

It chills my blood to hear the blest Supreme Rudely appealed to on each trifling theme.

Blood, Rude, Chill

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, . . . I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof Of undisturbed Retirement, and the hours Of long uninterrupted evening, know.

Retirement, Kings, Home

William Cowper (1854). “Poetical Works”, p.12

Words learn'd by rote a parrot may rehearse, But talking is not always to converse, Not more distinct from harmony divine The constant creaking of a country sign.

Country, Talking, May

William Cowper, Henry Stebbing (1869). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper, Esq: Including the Hymns and Translations from Madame Guion, Milton, Etc. ; with a Memoir of the Author”, p.128

The fall of waters and the song of birds, And hills that echo to the distant berds, Are luxuries excelling all the glare The world can boast, and her chief favorites share.

Song, Retirement, Fall

Sacred interpreter of human thought, How few respect or use thee as they ought! But all shall give account of every wrong, Who dare dishonor or defile the tongue; Who prostitute it in the cause of vice, Or sell their glory at a market-price!

Giving, Vices, Use

William Cowper, James Thomson (1832). “The Works of Cowper and Thompson: Including Many Letters and Poems Never Before Published in this Country. With a New and Interesting Memoir of the Life of Thomson”, p.40

Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free; They touch our country, and their shackles fall.

Country, Fall, Air

'The Task' (1785) bk. 2 'The Timepiece' l. 40.

I was a poet too; but modern taste Is so refined and delicate and chaste, That verse, whatever fire the fancy warms, Without a creamy smoothness has no charms. Thus, all success depending on an ear, And thinking I might purchase it too dear, If sentiment were sacrific'd to sound, And truth cut short to make a period round, I judg'd a man of sense could scarce do worse Than caper in the morris-dance of verse.

Cutting, Men, Thinking

William Cowper (1830). “Poems ... With a sketch of his life and a vindication of his religious principles and character. Third edition, corrected and enlarged. [With a portrait.]”, p.14

Greece, sound, thy Homer's, Rome thy Virgil's name, But England's Milton equals both in fame.

Rome, Names, Sound

William Cowper (1874). “The poetical works of William Cowper, ed: with notes and biographical introd. by William Benham”, p.469

I am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute, From the centre all round to the sea, I am lord of the fowl and the brute.

Sea, Fowl, Royalty

1782 Poems,'Verses Supposed to be Written by Alexander Selkirk, During His Solitary Abode in the Island of Juan Fernandez'.

The dogs did bark, the children screamed, Up flew the windows all; And every soul bawled out, Well done! As loud as he could bawl.

Dog, Children, Soul

William Cowper, “The Diverting History Of John Gilpin, Showing How He Went Farther Than He Intended, And Came Safe Home Again”

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